(Newser)
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As the 26-year reign of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak comes to a close, his likely successor is looking less like son Gamal, head of the benighted National Democratic Party, reports the Los Angeles Times. Instead, the man at the head of the country's foreign intelligence service, Omar Suleiman—"a diplomat's diplomat," with strong ties to many factions—is increasingly seen as the most likely to step into the top spot.

Suleiman's army past is a key ingredient in a country where "the military has already decided on who will be the next president," according to one analyst who sees Suleiman as "one of the most likely candidates." The spymaster's diplomatic pragmatism makes him equally viable to the West, where he "has the image of a respected law-and-order guy," remarked another observer.